01-fate-第2章

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pair。　　So　he　has　but　one　future；　and　that　is　already　predetermined　in

his　lobes；　and　described　in　that　little　fatty　face；　pig…eye；　and

squat　form。　　All　the　privilege　and　all　the　legislation　of　the　world

cannot　meddle　or　help　to　make　a　poet　or　a　prince　of　him。



　　　　　　　　Jesus　said；　〃When　he　looketh　on　her；　he　hath　committed

adultery。〃　But　he　is　an　adulterer　before　he　has　yet　looked　on　the

woman；　by　the　superfluity　of　animal；　and　the　defect　of　thought；　in

his　constitution。　　Who　meets　him；　or　who　meets　her；　in　the　street；

sees　that　they　are　ripe　to　be　each　other's　victim。



　　　　　　　　In　certain　men；　digestion　and　sex　absorb　the　vital　force；　and

the　stronger　these　are；　the　individual　is　so　much　weaker。　　The　more

of　these　drones　perish；　the　better　for　the　hive。　　If；　later；　they

give　birth　to　some　superior　individual；　with　force　enough　to　add　to

this　animal　a　new　aim；　and　a　complete　apparatus　to　work　it　out；　all

the　ancestors　are　gladly　forgotten。　　Most　men　and　most　women　are

merely　one　couple　more。　　Now　and　then；　one　has　a　new　cell　or

camarilla　opened　in　his　brain；　　an　architectural；　a　musical；　or　a

philological　knack；　some　stray　taste　or　talent　for　flowers；　or

chemistry；　or　pigments；　or　story…telling；　a　good　hand　for　drawing；　a

good　foot　for　dancing；　an　athletic　frame　for　wide　journeying；　&c。　　

which　skill　nowise　alters　rank　in　the　scale　of　nature；　but　serves　to

pass　the　time；　the　life　of　sensation　going　on　as　before。　　At　last；

these　hints　and　tendencies　are　fixed　in　one；　or　in　a　succession。

Each　absorbs　so　much　food　and　force；　as　to　become　itself　a　new

centre。　　The　new　talent　draws　off　so　rapidly　the　vital　force；　that

not　enough　remains　for　the　animal　functions；　hardly　enough　for

health；　so　that；　in　the　second　generation；　if　the　like　genius　appear；

the　health　is　visibly　deteriorated；　and　the　generative　force

impaired。



　　　　　　　　People　are　born　with　the　moral　or　with　the　material　bias；　

uterine　brothers　with　this　diverging　destination：　and　I　suppose；　with

high　magnifiers；　Mr。　Frauenhofer　or　Dr。　Carpenter　might　come　to

distinguish　in　the　embryo　at　the　fourth　day；　this　is　a　Whig；　and　that

a　Free…soiler。



　　　　　　　　It　was　a　poetic　attempt　to　lift　this　mountain　of　Fate；　to

reconcile　this　despotism　of　race　with　liberty；　which　led　the　Hindoos

to　say；　〃Fate　is　nothing　but　the　deeds　committed　in　a　prior　state　of

existence。〃　I　find　the　coincidence　of　the　extremes　of　eastern　and

western　speculation　in　the　daring　statement　of　Schelling；　〃there　is

in　every　man　a　certain　feeling；　that　he　has　been　what　he　is　from　all

eternity；　and　by　no　means　became　such　in　time。〃　To　say　it　less

sublimely；　　in　the　history　of　the　individual　is　always　an　account

of　his　condition；　and　he　knows　himself　to　be　a　party　to　his　present

estate。



　　　　　　　　A　good　deal　of　our　politics　is　physiological。　　Now　and　then；　a

man　of　wealth　in　the　heyday　of　youth　adopts　the　tenet　of　broadest

freedom。　　In　England；　there　is　always　some　man　of　wealth　and　large

connection　planting　himself；　during　all　his　years　of　health；　on　the

side　of　progress；　who；　as　soon　as　he　begins　to　die；　checks　his

forward　play；　calls　in　his　troops；　and　becomes　conservative。　　All

conservatives　are　such　from　personal　defects。　　They　have　been

effeminated　by　position　or　nature；　born　halt　and　blind；　through

luxury　of　their　parents；　and　can　only；　like　invalids；　act　on　the

defensive。　　But　strong　natures；　backwoodsmen；　New　Hampshire　giants；

Napoleons；　Burkes；　Broughams；　Websters；　Kossuths；　are　inevitable

patriots；　until　their　life　ebbs；　and　their　defects　and　gout；　palsy

and　money；　warp　them。



　　　　　　　　The　strongest　idea　incarnates　itself　in　majorities　and　nations；

in　the　healthiest　and　strongest。　　Probably；　the　election　goes　by

avoirdupois　weight；　and；　if　you　could　weigh　bodily　the　tonnage　of　any

hundred　of　the　Whig　and　the　Democratic　party　in　a　town；　on　the

Dearborn　balance；　as　they　passed　the　hayscales；　you　could　predict

with　certainty　which　party　would　carry　it。　　On　the　whole；　it　would　be

rather　the　speediest　way　of　deciding　the　vote；　to　put　the　selectmen

or　the　mayor　and　aldermen　at　the　hayscales。



　　　　　　　　In　science；　we　have　to　consider　two　things：　power　and

circumstance。　　All　we　know　of　the　egg；　from　each　successive

discovery；　is；　_another　vesicle_；　and　if；　after　five　hundred　years；

you　get　a　better　observer；　or　a　better　glass；　he　finds　within　the

last　observed　another。　　In　vegetable　and　animal　tissue；　it　is　just

alike；　and　all　that　the　primary　power　or　spasm　operates；　is；　still；

vesicles；　vesicles。　　Yes；　　but　the　tyrannical　Circumstance！　　A

vesicle　in　new　circumstances；　a　vesicle　lodged　in　darkness；　Oken

thought；　became　animal；　in　light；　a　plant。　　Lodged　in　the　parent

animal；　it　suffers　changes；　which　end　in　unsheathing　miraculous

capability　in　the　unaltered　vesicle；　and　it　unlocks　itself　to　fish；

bird；　or　quadruped；　head　and　foot；　eye　and　claw。　　The　Circumstance　is

Nature。　　Nature　is；　what　you　may　do。　　There　is　much　you　may　not。　　We

have　two　things；　　the　circumstance；　and　the　life。　　Once　we　thought；

positive　power　was　all。　　Now　we　learn；　that　negative　power；　or

circumstance；　is　half。　　Nature　is　the　tyrannous　circumstance；　the

thick　skull；　the　sheathed　snake；　the　ponderous；　rock…like　jaw；

necessitated　activity；　violent　direction；　the　conditions　of　a　tool；

like　the　locomotive；　strong　enough　on　its　track；　but　which　can　do

nothing　but　mischief　off　of　it；　or　skates；　which　are　wings　on　the

ice；　but　fetters　on　the　ground。



　　　　　　　　The　book　of　Nature　is　the　book　of　Fate。　　She　turns　the　gigantic

pages；　　leaf　after　leaf；　　never　returning　one。　　One　leaf　she　lays

down；　a　floor　of　granite；　then　a　thousand　ages；　and　a　bed　of　slate；　a

thousand　ages；　and　a　measure　of　coal；　a　thousand　ages；　and　a　layer　of

marl　and　mud：　vegetable　forms　appear；　her　first　misshapen　animals；

zoophyte；　trilobium；　fish；　then；　saurians；　　rude　forms；　in　which

she　has　only　blocked　her　future　statue；　concealing　under　these

unwieldly　monsters　the　fine　type　of　her　coming　king。　　The　face　of　the

planet　cools　and　dries；　the　races　meliorate；　and　man　is　born。　　But

when　a　race　has　lived　its　term；　it　comes　no　more　again。



　　　　　　　　The　population　of　the　world　is　a　conditional　population　not　the

best；　but　the　best　that　could　live　now；　and　the　scale　of　tribes；　and

the　steadiness　with　which　victory　adheres　to　one　tribe；　and　defeat　to

another；　is　as　uniform　as　the　superposition　of　strata。　　We　know　in

history　what　weight　belongs　to　race。　　We　see　the　English；　French；　and

Germans　planting　themselves　on　every　shore　and　market　of　America　and

Australia；　and　monopolizing　the　commerce　of　these　countries。　　We　like

the　nervous　and　victorious　habit　of　our　own　branch　of　the　family。　　We

follow　the　step　of　the　Jew；　of　the　Indian；　of　the　Negro。　　We　see　how

much　will　has　been　expended　to　extinguish　the　Jew；　in　vain。　　Look　at

the　unpalatable　conclusions　of　Knox；　in　his　〃Fragment　of　Races；〃　　a

rash　and　unsatisfactory　writer；　but　charged　with　pungent　and

unforgetable　truths。　　〃Nature　respects　race；　and　not　hybrids。〃　〃Every

race　has　its　own　_habitat_。〃　〃Detach　a　colony　from　the　race；　and　it

deteriorates　to　the　crab。〃　See　the　shades　of　the　picture。　　The　German

and　Irish　millions；　like　the　Negro；　have　a　great　deal　of　guano　in

their　destiny。　　They　are　ferried　over　the　Atlantic；　and　carted　over

America；　to　ditch　and　to　drudge；　to　make　corn　cheap；　and　then　to　lie

down　prematurely　to　make　a　spot　of　green　grass　on　the　prairie。



　　　　　　　　One　more　fagot　of　these　adamantine　bandages；　is；　the　new

science　of　Statistics。　　It　is　a　rule；　that　the　most　casual　and

extraordinary　events　　if　the　basis　of　population　is　broad　enough　

become　matter　of　fixed　calculation。　　It　would　not　be　safe　to　say　when

a　captain　like　Bonaparte；　a　singer　like　Jenny　Lind；　or　a　navigator

like　Bowditch；　would　be　born　in　Boston：　but；　on　a　population　of

twenty　or　two　hundred　millions；　something　like　accuracy　may　be　had。

（*）



　　　　　　　　（*）　〃Everything　which　pertains　to　the　human　species；　considered

as　a　whole；　belongs　to　the　order　of　physical　facts。　　The　greater　the

number　of　individuals；　the　more　does　the　influence　of　the　individual

will　disappear；　leaving　predominance　to　a　series　of　general　facts

dependent　on　causes　by　which　society　exists；　and　is　preserved。〃　

Quetelet。



　　　　　　　　'Tis　frivolous　to　fix　pedantically　the　date　of　particular

inventions。　　They　have　all　been　invented　over　and　over　fifty　times。

Man　is　the　arch　machine；　of　which　all　these　shifts　drawn　from　himself

are　toy　models。　　He　helps　himself　on　each　emergency　by　copying　or

duplicating　his　own　structure；　just　so　far　as　the　need　is。　　'Tis　hard

to　find　the　right　Homer　Zoroaster；　or　Menu；　harder　still　to　find　the

Tubal　Cain；　or　Vulcan；　or　Cadmus；　or　Copernicus；　or　Fust；　or　Fulton；

the　indisputable　inventor。　　There　are　scores　and　centuries　of　them。

〃The　air　is　full　of　men。〃　This　kind　of　talent　so　abounds；　this

constructive　tool…making　efficiency；　as　if　it　adhered　to　the　chemic

atoms；　as　if　the　air　he　breathes　were　made　of　Vaucansons；　Franklins；

and　Watts。



　　　　　　　　Doubtless；　in　every　million　there　will　be　an　astronomer；　a

mathematician；　a　comic　poet；　a　mystic。　　No　one　can　read　the　history

of　astronomy；　without　perceiving　that　Copernicus；　Newton；　Laplace；

are　not　new　men；　or　a　new　kind　of　men；　but　that　Thales；　Anaximenes；

Hipparchus；　Empedocles；　Aristarchus；　Pythagoras；　；oEnopides；　had

anticipated　them；　each　had　the　same　tense　geometrical　brain；　apt　for

the　same　vigorous　computation　and　logic；　a　mind　parallel　to　the

movement　of　the　world。　　The　Roman　mile　probably　rested　on　a　measure

of　a　degree　of　the　meridian。　　Mahometan　and　Chinese　know　what　we　know

of　leap…year；　of　the　Gregorian　calendar；　and　of　the　precession　of　the

equinoxes。　　As；　in　every　barrel　of　cowries；　brought　to　New　Bedford；

there　shall　be　one　_orangia_；　so　there　will；　in　a　dozen　millions　of

Malays　and　Mahometans；　be　one　or　two　astronomical　skulls。　　In　a　large

city；　the　most　casual　things；　and　things　whose　beauty　lies　in　their

casualty；　are　produced　as　punctually　and　to　order　as　the　baker's

muffin　for　breakfast。　　Punch　makes　exactly　one　capital　joke　a　week；

and　the　journals　contrive　to　furnish　one　good　piece　of　news　every

day。



　　　　　　　　And　not　less　work　the　laws　of　repression；　the　penalties　of

violated　functions。　　Famine；　typhus；　frost；　war；　suicide；　and　effete

races；　must　be　reckoned　calculable　parts　of　the　system　of　the　world。



　　　　　　　　These　are　pebbles　from　the　mountain；　hints　of　the　terms　by

which　our　life　is　walled　up；　and　which　show　a　kind　of　mechanical

exactness；　as　of　a　loom　or　mill；　in　what　we　call　casual　or　fortuitous

events。



　　　　　　　　The　force　with　which　we　resist　these　torrents　of　tendency　looks

so　ridiculously　inadequate；　that　it　amounts　to　little　more　than　a

criticism　or　a　protest　made　by　a　minority　of　one；　under　compulsion　of

millions。　　I　seemed；　in　the　height　of　a　tempest；　to　see　m